Jon who? UNLV ready to press on

After losing two games in overtime and two more in the final minutes last season, UNLV head football coach Jeff Horton decided the team's 1998 motto should be "Learn To Finish."

But the theme at the Rebels' portion of WAC football media day Wednesday afternoon at the MGM Grand Hotel Conference Center was more like "Jon Who?"

The transfer of record-setting quarterback Jon Denton to Division 1-AA Eastern Kentucky still was the hot topic for the media who met with Horton and two of his key players for 1998, wide reciever Damon Williams and defensive end Talance Sawyer.

And Horton, who has maintained that the split with Denton was mutual, made some comments that indicated that maybe it wasn't.

Horton said: "It was a tough decision to make. When you get a kid who is a local kid and has contributed to the program the way Jonny has, it's tough. ... But for the credibility and integrity of the program, it was a decision that had to be made."

As for those naysayers who believe UNLV, which finished 3-8 a year ago and has won just six games in the past three seasons, can't win without Denton this season, Horton had a message.

"A lot of people think without Jonny that we don't have a chance," he said. "Well, that's not true. I think that's a slap in the face for the rest of our team."

Horton believes that fifth-year senior Kevin Crook, who started two games last season when Denton was suspended for violating a team rule, will do a solid job in Denton's place.

"I think Jon Denton is one of the top five quarterbacks in the country," Horton said. "If I said anything different, I'd be lying. Is Kevin Crook Jon Denton? No. Does he need to be Jon Denton for us to win? No.

"Kevin has to understand that he has other people around him. He doesn't have to do it by himself. He just needs to get us in the right situations, protect the football and get it to the right people on the field."

Sawyer and Williams, who needs just one catch to break Henry Bailey's school career reception record, believe it's time to move on.

"What we need to do to be successful is put Jon's situation behind us," Sawyer said. "He'll be missed tremendously, but we need to move on.

"I think it's a good thing that the situation with Jon was taken care of now instead of possibly during a crucial part of the season. Now we don't need to worry about that anymore."

"We've put (the Denton transfer) behind us," Williams said. "Of course it affected us tremendously. But it is time to move on. We're ready for the Kevin Crook era at quarterback now."

Horton, who said he has two years remaining on his contract but has been rumored to be on the hot seat, said he hasn't been told how many games his team needs to win this season for the final year of his contract to be honored.

"There's been no number given," he said. "We just need to keep showing improvement and I think we will. I'm very excited about this team."

"It (Horton's future) hasn't really been discussed by the players," Sawyer said. "But all of us know that we can't continue to keep having bad seasons if everyone here wants to keep their jobs. But we all feel that this is the season we're going to turn things around.

"If we do, I'm sure coach Horton will be around for a long time."

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